Labor Secretary Hilda Solis resigned her post on Wednesday offering no specific reason beyond plans to return to her native California where she is expected to run for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

In a message to colleagues, Secretary Solis said she made the decision to leave after discussing it with her family and close friends over the holidays.

One of the highest-ranking Hispanics in Obama's administration, Secretary Solis has won praise from labor unions for aggressive enforcement of wage and hour laws and job safety regulations.

In contrast business groups have criticized her as not taking a more cooperative approach.

Stepping down: U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis has announced her resignation without any specific reason outside of her decision made over the holidays among family and friends

'Leaving the department is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, because I have taken our mission to heart,' Secretary Solis said.

'As the daughter of parents who worked in factories, paid their union dues and achieved their goal of a middle-class life, and as the first Latina to head a major federal agency, it has been an incredible honor to serve,' she said.

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In an interview with the Washington Post in December, she recalled a high school counsellor once telling her: ‘I was not college material and that I should lower my sights and stay as secretary. Thirty years later, I can say my title is secretary of labor.’

President Barack Obama called Mrs Solis 'a tireless champion for working families.'

Accomplishments: Seen among students in San Jose, California last year, Secretary Solis has won praise from labor unions for aggressive enforcement of wage and hour laws and job safety regulations

'Over the last four years, Secretary Solis has been a critical member of my economic team as we have worked to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and strengthen the economy for the middle class,' President Obama said in a statement.

Secretary Solis said she is proud that 1.7 million people have completed federally funded job training programs under her tenure.

Her agency oversaw the spending of about $67 billion for unemployment insurance benefits, job training and other job placement and worker protection programs under Obama's economic stimulus package.

Praise: President Barack Obama, seen with her in 2010, called her a critical member of his economic team during his last four years in office who worked tirelessly for working families

Separately, the White House said on Wednesday that Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki would remain in their posts.

Mr Holder and Mrs Sebelius have been frequent targets of Republican foes in Congress.

The attorney general has been criticized for the government's handling of Operation Fast and Furious, a gun-running investigation gone awry.

Secretary Sebelius is in charge of putting in place President Obama's health care overhaul law, which Republicans have failed to repeal.

An expect date Mrs Solis is expected to step down was not provided but officials expect it to come later this month around the inauguration.